Tag: food

Last Tuesday, May 17th. APP-NW hosted an incredible workshop and social gathering at the Lucky Lab. Our guest speakers Erich Demerath and Robin Vada gave us very important and insightful information on how to create a reel that showcases our work as actors, and how to use it as a marketing tool to position our brand.

If you missed it, here are the highlights of the night!

What is a reel? Clips that show that you can act, what you look like, and what you sound like. Ideally, it gets you work.

Current trends – new technology makes equipment cheaper, quality higher, easier to watch it from anywhere, but shorter attention spans. More content and more convenient to watch than ever. The length of reels has shortened – now, 2 minutes at the longest. Reels are more important than ever.

Types of reels:

General

Dramatic

Comedic

Commercial

StuntOnce you have enough work, having them all together is confusing. Pay attention to the quality of both visual and audio. Lead with something in your wheelhouse.

Where to start?

Gather Your Footage:

From the directors, producers, and editors. Maintain good standing with them. Get contact info and inform them you want scenes for your reel. Request footage once the project is complete, though many projects end up not ever being completed.

Perhaps try to get a written contract that includes that you will have access to finished footage.

You may also be able to download clips yourself if they are available. For your records and for your reel editor.

The higher the resolution the better. The larger the file the better (within reason).

HD: 1920×1080 or 1280×720

Try to avoid SD. Try to avoid letterbox.

Don’t forget about audio!!!!!!

What clips to not use?

Theater clips

Self-taped auditions

Clips that do not feature you

Home videos

Anything with poor production quality

The reel!

First shot should be you.

First voice should be yours.

Not longer than 2 minutes.

Do not worry about the context of the scenes.

Use medium and close up shots as much as possible.

Avoid montages.

Titles of productions – this is a grey area; some people like it, some don’t; just be consistent.

Start and end with your name and contact info.

Production Quality Matters!!!!!!

If it is a good performance, but poor quality, think twice. You’re only as good as your poorest quality clip.

Before Giving Footage to Your Editor:

Log your footage

Write timecodes of your best clips

Don’t just hand off a stack of films

Shooting Your Own Scenes:

There have been classes in town that are based around shooting scenes for your reel. Or people have hired crew to shoot scenes for their reel. Make sure you do it right. Make sure the quality is good, the audio is clear.

What to do with your reel?

Youtube channel

Vimeo

Personal website

Maybe also upload full scenes as supplements

Get feedback! Let people be honest!

Maintain it.

Robin Vada from Professional Acting Reels

They can rip almost anything from on-line, whether iTunes, YouTube, website… Charge $25. They also create reels and create scenes for footage for reels.

Your reel can start to cultivate your brand as an actor. What is your essence. What is it that you do well.

APP-NW Reaches First Fundraising Goal at Actors Happy Hour!

Actors Happy Hour! on Tuesday, May 19, at Mother’s Bistro, was a rousing success on all fronts, given that APP-NW had an ambitious agenda for the evening. As you know, Actors Happy Hour! always features a conversation on a topic of interest to our members and this month the topic was OPIF/iOPIF, Oregon’s film incentive programs. Before that conversation started, however, APP-NW gave a report on its efforts to acquire true, 501(c)3, not-for-profit status. More about that in paragraph six!

Nathaniel Applefield of OMPA gave a great report on the current status of legislation in Salem to improve and extend the Oregon Production Incentive Program and the Indiginious Production Incentive Program. Applefield gave us a comprehensive explanation of how the programs work and how they are designed to grow. He pointed out that Oregon’s plan is to control the growth of the program to match the growth and training of Oregonians to fill the jobs on OPIF projects. Nathaniel noted that other states with much larger incentive packages and/or no caps on the number of projects are finding that their infrastructure does not keep pace and usually have to import crew and other personnel.

Applefield emphasized the overarching goal of this year’s legislative push was to extend the sunset of the program to 2024 and to increase the overall pot of funds available for the tax credits. He urged all in the community to contact their state legislators with their own personal stories of what our industry means to them and how their lives are affected by the availability of work right here at home.

Tim Williams, Executive Director of Oregon Film, was also on hand to give his perspective on the bright future of the Oregon film industry. We were honored he was able to take the time to join us.

To round out the discussion of OPIF/iOPIF 2015, Lara Cuddy of Reverie Films shared her experiences with the programs from the producer’s prospective. As one member pointed out, the more our performers know about the whole process of getting a project made the better able we will be to make a meaningful contribution to that project’s success. It’s rare that we as performers have a window on what goes into putting a project together, so Lara’s remarks were eagerly received.

But the biggest surprise of the evening came as Nathaniel Applefield led an impromptu “paddle raiser” to collect cash and pledges to fund APP-NW’s filing fees to acquire 501(c)3 status. His enthusiasm put us well over the top and we will be filing the paperwork – with the required fee – very soon! At the top of the evening, APP-NW presented a progress report on its efforts to become a real, “grown up” organization. Paperwork had already been completed to register as a non-profit corporation with Oregon and to get a Federal Tax ID Number (EIN). The last step of the process was filing for 501(c)3 status, which required a substantial fee. We anticipated collecting the money at AHH! over the next few months. We were surprised, delighted and humbled at the level of commitment and support shown us on Tuesday as we more than met our goal and our total filing fees for the entire process are more than covered.

Achieving 503(c)3 status does a number of things for APP-NW. First, it makes the organization the responsible party, rather than an individual. The generous soul who had been lending his Social Security Number to the organization has heaved a huge sigh of relief! But most important, APP-NW will be able to solicit tax deductible donations that will allow us to go forward with our plans to increase the number and complexity of the educational and training opportunities for our professional performer community. After all, in addition to creating work-place standards, APP-NW exists to improve and increase the level of professionalism in our community.

Singer Cyndi Lauper said her father told her: “Da more ya loin, da more ya oin!” (learn/earn – for those who don’t speak Queens, NY) That’s our philosophy here at APP-NW, too. Come learn with us. The sky’s the limit.

At its recent Board retreat, APP-NW’s Board of Directors defined acquiring formal non-profit status as its foremost goal for 2015/16. Armed with Board approval, Co-Chairs Chrisse Roccaro and Christopher Toyne headed to a consult with Oregon Volunteer Lawyers for the Arts, at which Attorney Bryan Wasetis, with Aspect Law Group, LLC, laid out the steps we needed to take. Christopher began the process and, in a remarkably short time, got us 3/4 of the way to the finish line.

First, we had to incorporate as a Non-Profit through the Oregon Secretary of State.
Next, we registered for a Federal Employer Identification Number.
Third, we registered with the Oregon Department of Justice/Charitable Division. It was necessary at this point to designate a Registered Agent, and we chose to hire the Aspect Law Group, LLC for that purpose.

The last step is to file the Federal 1023-EZ form to apply for tax exempt status. The paperwork is filled out and all that’s needed now is the $400 filing fee! Needless to say, we’ll be putting our noses to the grindstone to raise that money in the next few months. We’ll have our donation jar out at the next AHH! (Mother’s Bistro, Tuesday, May 19, 6 – 9 PM!) so you can drop in a dollar to get us closer to our goal.

As you know, part of our mission is to improve and increase the level of professionalism within our industry. We are starry-eyed with the possibilities for enhanced educational and training programs for performers that your soon-to-be-tax deductible donations will make possible.

The APP-NW movement is growing, but there’s still plenty of work to do. Our members play an active role in improving and increasing the level of professionalism within our industry and protecting performers through the establishment of workplace standards – and they do that by asking one simple question when considering a new project:

We want to let our members know just how much progress their efforts have brought about – and we want to give performers who may now know what APP-NW is all about the chance to find out more about the movement!

Join us on Tuesday, February 17 from 6 – 9 PM for APP-NW’s 2015 Annual Meeting!

Find out more about the movement

Learn how APP-NW has helped to change the Northwest market in the past year

The 2015 Annual Meeting will be held at Wine Up on Williams – 3037 N Williams Ave., Portland OR 97227

6:00 Social meet-and-greet with complimentary hors douvres and “no-host” bar

6:30 Business commences

But wait – what about#ActorsHappyHour? There’s a reason our Annual Meeting is being held at Wine Up on Williams this year. We know you look forward to the third Tuesday of the month so you can meet up with your fellow performers and get caught up on all that’s happening in your lives and the industry – Wine Up is happy to host APP-NW members for the rest of the evening after the meeting’s business concludes! They promise not to kick us out until at least 9:00 PM!

We hope you’ll join us on February 17 to find out more about APP-NW and what it’s done for Northwest performers over the past year – and what we plan to do in the coming year. We can’t do it without you, so please RSVP at our Facebook page and let us know you’ll be attending!

On Tuesday January 20 president Barack Obama will give the US Congress, and the nation, his State of the Union address. This yearly ritual, full of pomp-and-circumstance, isn’t just a chance to report on how things have gone in the past year – it’s a chance for the president to announce bold new initiatives and goals for the future in an effort to move the country forward.

You may not have thought about it, but we professional performers have a similar ritual at the beginning of each year – we look back on what’s worked (and what hasn’t) in the previous year, and we set goals for the coming year that will move our lives and careers forward! We don’t generally announce these goals in front of national television and a joint session of Congress – but we know that keeping these goals to ourselves can sometimes “let us off the hook…” sharing our goals with others help us to solidify them in our minds – and even helps to keep us accountable to ourselves.

So, NW performers, we’re asking you to share YOUR 2015 state of the union with us at the first #ActorsHappyHour of the year at a new location: Wine Up on Williams in at 3037 N Williams St. in North Portland. Join us from 6 – 9 pm on Tuesday January 20 and let us know how you’re going to build on the successes you shared with us in November!

The president’s State of the Union speech will be playing on the televisions upstairs, in case you need inspiration, and Wine Up on Williams has prepared a special happy hour menu for APP-NW members (remember to wear your APP-NW pins, or get them at the door!) After the speech, join us downstairs in Wine Up’s special event room and tell us how you plan to move your career forward in 2015!

We’ll also be raffling off some tools to help start your year off right, including

One hour of free tax consultation from The Bookkeeping Company – a Bookkeeping and tax service that “gets” the special needs of performers

An Actor’s Holdon Log – the perfect “paperware” tool from the makers of PerformerTrack to help you track your auditions, callbacks and bookings in the year to come!

Don’t forget, raffle tickets are $1.00 each or 7 for $5.00 – and if you bring a performer who’s never attended an #ACTORSHAPPYHOUR we will give you a free ticket for the raffle!

Please RSVP at our Facebook page so we know you’re coming – and be sure to share this post with every actor on your list! We’d love to give you a free raffle ticket – and we’d love to hear your goals for the coming year!

The Librarians promises laughs, adventure and great special effects as a secret society of Librarians battle supernatural baddies to keep us all safe. And The Morrison Hotel Bar promises good food and drink for the price of, well, good food and drink!

*** To be entered to win a door prize, bring a non-perishable food item for the Oregon Food Bank! ***

It’s been a great year, Northwest actors – and we want to hear about the successes you’re giving thanks for at the final Actors Happy Hour of the year!

In January, we asked you what your goals for the coming year were… well, it’s time to look back at the “year that’s been” and see if 2014 matched – or surpassed – your expectations! Join us downtown at Cassidy’s Restaurant on Tuesday, November 18 from 6 – 9 PM and share your success stories from 2014 – did you make connections with important industry players? Did you spread the word about APP-NW‘s professional standards, and help your fellow performers do their best work on professional sets in the Northwest and elsewhere? Did you reach a new career milestone, or help someone else build a stronger career? Maybe your year went in an entirely unexpected direction, and you had to re-assess those goals you made back in January – what ever happened, we want to hear all about it!

Be sure to wear your APP-NW pins (or get them at the door) and expect some fine food and drink while we have a lively discussion… and do remember to bring a few extra dollars for our monthly raffle, where we give you the chance to win prizes that can help build your professional career like:

An Actor’s Holdon Log – the perfect gift for a professional performer in your life (or maybe for yourself!)

Don’t forget, raffle tickets are $1.00 each or 7 for $5.00 – and if you bring a performer who’s never attended an #ACTORSHAPPYHOUR we will give you a free ticket for the raffle!

Parking at Cassidy’s might require some pre-planning; we recommend that you take public transportation if you can, park at the SmartPark on 10th Ave, or leave plenty of time to look for metered parking.

As mentioned above, this will be our final #ActorsHappyHour of 2014 – but don’t you worry, we’ll be back after the holidays! Be sure you’ve subscribed to our mailing list so you’re among the first to hear about our next #ActorsHappyHour location in January 2015!

Please RSVP at our Facebook page so we know you’re coming – and be sure to share this post with every film and TV worker on your list… we’d love to give you a free raffle ticket AND get a big group together to celebrate YOU! We’re looking forward to seeing you next TUESDAY!

Did you attend the Oregon Actors Awards this past Sunday, Northwest performers? If you did, you heard a lot of speeches from the presenters and the winners – and one thing nearly all those speeches had in common was the word “community.” Time and time again presenters and recipients talked about how amazing Oregon’s community is, and encouraged the audience to keep building a stronger community.

When many people think of the film and TV industry (in the Northwest or elsewhere) they tend to think about agents, movie stars, cameras, directors, and producers. The term “community” doesn’t often enter their minds. Really, what difference does a community make in the film and TV industry – and what can a single performer do to build a community… let alone have an effect on the larger industry?

Be sure to wear your APP-NW pins (or get them at the door) and expect some fine food and drink while we have a lively discussion… and remember to bring a few extra dollars for our monthly raffle, where we give you the chance to win prizes that can help build your professional career, including:

Don’t forget, raffle tickets are $1.00 each or 7 for $5.00 – AND if you bring a performer who’s never attended an #ACTORSHAPPYHOUR we will give you a free ticket for the raffle!

Parking at Cassidy’s might require some pre-planning; we recommend that you take public transportation if you can, park at the SmartPark on 10th Ave, or leave plenty of time to look for metered parking.

Please RSVP at our Facebook page so we know you’re coming – and be sure to share this post with every film and TV worker on your list… we’d love to give you a free raffle ticket AND get a big group together to discuss this VERY important topic! We’re looking forward to seeing you next TUESDAY!

We are looking for 5 awesome volunteers to help the Oregon Actor Awards ceremony be a success and we are asking our members to help us out. Tasks include help set up stage, tech rehearsal and spotlight, Ushers, backstage support and food and drinks servers (1 person with a valid server permit OLCC.) The time commitment is from 2 to 10 on Sunday October 12 .

Video Of A Car Stunt On An Unsafe Set That Went Viral – Click here To Watch And Find Out More About The Incident

This year’s highly publicized fatal accident in Georgia shed light on an issue we all know happens far more frequently than we hear about in the news. What is a “Safe Set”? What can we do if we find ourselves in an unsafe situation on set?

We want to hear your thoughts at September’s Actors Happy Hour – and from your friends in the industry, too… anyone who performs, creates, produces, crews, casts or markets is invited.

Come join the discussion with us at a new location, Cassidy’s, located at 1331 S Washington Ave between 12th and 13th, on our new night Tuesday September 16th from 6-9. Share a drink and a smile, and let us know what YOU think a safe set is. Remember to wear your APP-NW pins, or get them at the door, and expect some fine food and drink while we have a lively discussion… and remember to bring a few extra dollars for our monthly raffle, where we give you the chance to win prizes that can help build your professional career, including:

Don’t forget, raffle tickets are $1.00 each or 7 for $5.00-and if you bring a performer who’s never attended an #ACTORSHAPPYHOUR we will give you a free ticket for the raffle.

As it happens, we are sharing the date of our first Cassidy’s #ActorsHappyHour with a Timbers Game, so parking might require some forethought. All the meters on 12th Avenue and further west will be active until 10 PM. Take public transportation if you can, or park below 12th Avenue, where the meters go “off” at 7 PM. There is a SmartPark on 10th Ave. From there it is a short “over two up two” to Cassidy’s – a lovely walk on a fine fall evening. Other street, lot and garage parking opportunities are in the nearby Pearl District on the north side of Burnside.

Please RSVP at our Facebook page so we know you’re coming – and be sure to share this post with every industry worker on your list… we’d love to give you a free raffle ticket AND get a big group together to discuss this VERY important topic! We’re looking forward to seeing you next TUESDAY!